Why women over 40 need to lift weights.
Exercise is a beautiful thing! It is not only great for our bodies but it is also the most underutilized mood booster.
Running, cycling, swimming, walking are great options that help keep your heart strong and happy. But when it comes to making muscle, keeping strong bones and changing or maintaining a lean body composition, lifting weights will give you, pound for pound, the most bang for your buck.
When you lift weights, your body not only uses up your stored energy, it also creates tiny tears in your muscles, and puts a lot of strain on your heart and nervous system. This may sound scary, but it's actually a good thing! It teaches your body to get stronger and to adapt better and faster to any stress we put it through. Stronger muscles and bones also make our lives easier and help raise the rate at which we burn calories, even at rest. Read that again!
There are three very important things to keep in mind:
Lift heavy sh!t (but do it properly). A simple way to know you are lifting the right weight for the exercise you are performing is to watch your form. Your form should be your first priority and if you feel it’s suffering after a few reps then you are likely lifting too much. Your routine should feel challenging but doable.
Equally as important is the recovery process. Your body needs time to rest and recover. Some soreness is expected the next day but if you feel very sore then consider an active recovery day (lots of walking, dancing, swimming). You don’t have to go hard every day as that can leave you feeling tired all the time or injured. Resting cleans up the waste that was created during the hard exercise, it repairs the tears in your muscles, and restocks your energy so you can exercise even harder next time. Warm up and cool down must be part of your routine. And remember, sleep is the best recovery tool so having a good sleeping routine is paramount.
Nail your nutrition especially around workouts. Forget the idea of fasting and exercise - they don’t go together. Get the right amount of protein and carbs! Yes, carbs! Have a small snack beforehand and have a proper meal as soon as your heart rate is back to normal. This will aid the recovery process, replenish your energy and feed your muscles strong.
It is never too late to start lifting.
Our bootcamp has members from all walks of life and ages (38 to 66). We lift weights, we talk about nutrition, and we support and motivate each other every step of the way.